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Koro
Koro was a winged inhabitant of the Shadow realm.Deadhouse Landing, Dramatis Personae Koro was described as being an "ugly cross between a bat and a pelican": black in colour. The creature's most noticeable feature were its two broad, tattered, membranous wings. These wings each held a tiny hand which possessed clawed fingers as well as an opposable thumb.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 17, US TPB p.328 Koro had two tiny clawed feet at the end of its legs and it used them — when not flying — to walk upright. Koro possessed two beady black eyes — one on either side of its hatchet-like head. Its long, edged beak was broad, pointed and pelican-like. Although Koro could fly easily and rapidly, the creature's wings did "not appear in anyway adequate" to even just keep it up in the air. Koro's body — except for its thin, leathery wings and its legs — was covered with unkempt black fur. Koro's bat/pelican-like form was not the one it had been born with — having originally been human. The creature was presumably male — as Koro, when thinking internally, self-referred to himself using masculine pronouns: "he"; "his"; "him".Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 7, US TPB p.131-132/134-135Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 14, US TPB p.263-264/266-271 Koro was excitable by nature; possessed a high degree of self-importance; and displayed great determination to get his own way.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 7, US TPB p.134-135Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 14, US TPB p.263/270 In Deadhouse Landing In the very early days of the formation of the Malazan Empire, Kellanved and Dancer — now based in Malaz City — continued their explorations of Shadow. Dancer soon noticed that they were seemingly being followed by Koro, which the assassin described as a "lazily flapping creature like no bird" that he had ever seen. Koro landed and watched the pair when a Hound of Shadow appeared to hunt them. To Koro's displeasure, they managed to avoid the Hound by escaping through a gate.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 7, US TPB p.127-131/132-134 Koro took flight and sought Edgewalker, the guardian of Shadow. When Koro found the "scarecrow-thin walker", he told him — hissing "disapproval and impatience" — that the trespassers had returned and had managed to escape the Hound. Edgewalker was indifferent to this news, a reaction which infuriated Koro. Koro wanted the guardian to "fall upon them and rend them bone from bone". However, Edgewalker not only refused to do anything, but also warned Koro not to interfere unless Koro got his direct order to do so.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 7, US TPB p.134-135 Koro, disgruntled, had flown away from Edgewalker and landed on a standing menhir. There, Koro continued to wonder what he could do about Kellanved and Dancer. Inadvertently, Koro raised a prisoner buried in Shadow. During desultory conversation with this prisoner, Koro suddenly had an idea of how to get rid of the hated trespassers. Inspired, Koro took to the air to implement this plan. Later, Koro tracked down Kellanved and Dancer and, after introducing himself, led the pair into an ambush which involved several Shadow Hounds driving them into a thick forest. In these woods, Koro watched as the mage was drawn totally under the loam surface, and Dancer was pinned by vines against a tree trunk so tightly that he could not breathe. Koro, satisfied that the pair were finally taken care of, flapped away, cawing in triumph.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 14, US TPB p.263-264/266-271 Koro, however, had badly underestimated Kellanved and Dancer and they managed to escape the trap. Back in Malaz City, they enlisted Dassem Ultor to help them with an "errand".Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 16, US TPB p.320-321 Back in Shadow, Dassem sat in front of a camp fire, serving as bait for Koro. Eventually, Koro showed up, horrified at this new trespasser. Koro, caught completely off-guard, was immobilized by Kellanved who came out of hiding. Koro was then man-handled by Dancer and Dassem and dropped into a deep stone cavity which they then covered with a stone lid. This was done because Koro refused to answer any questions that the mage had put to him about Shadow. Kellanved intended to leave Koro trapped there in order "to have a think". Kellanved thought he would check back to see if Koro had decided to cooperate — after about a century or so.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 17, US TPB p.327-329 Notes and references Category:Creatures Category:Humans Category:Males